Multi-colored light ornament construction



Oct; 31, 1967 E. DI RICO 3,350,555

MULTI-COLORED LIGHT ORNAMENT CONSTRUCTION Filed Oct. 5, 1965 INVENTOR. E/WD/O 0/ R/cv United States Patent 3,350,555 MULTI-COLORED LIGHT ORNAMENT CONSTRUCTION Emidio Di Rico, East Elmhurst, N.Y., assignor to Raylite glecliric Corp., Bronx, N.Y., a corporation of New Filed Oct. 5, 1965, Ser. No. 493,033 6 Claims. (Cl. 240-) This invention relates to lighted ornamental devices and more particularly is directed to decorative wreaths or plaques, each incorporating a novel, attractive and appealing multi-colored lighting display for use in festive decorations and the like.

Among the objects of the invention is to generally improve devices of the character described which shall comprise few and simple parts that are readily and easily assembled to form a rugged yet attractive display omament, which shall be relatively inexpensive to manufacture, which shall provide a novel version of the holiday wreath by utilizing a string of multi-colored lights in combination with a reflecting bowl which may also be adapted to or incorporated in other framing means, and which shall be practical and eflicient to a high degree in use.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists of features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter disclosed, the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the claims following.

In the accompanying drawing in which an illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a multi-colored light display plaque in the form of a holiday wreath constructed to embody the invention, a portion of the wreath being broken away to show underlying structure.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2-2 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a detail view as seen on line 3-3 in FIG. 2 showing the mounting of a light socket, and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken through the bowl showing details of the reflecting surface.

Referring in detail to the drawings, 10 denotes a display plaque constructed to embody the invention seen to comprise a bowl 11, a string of multi-colored electric lights 12 and a wreath 13.

Bowl 11 may be provided as a thin wall structure of relatively uniform thickness which may be vacuum formed from suitable plastic sheet material, such as, vinyl, acetate, biaxial oriented styrene and the like, as a generally dish-shaped structure having a curved side wall portion 11a surrounding a conical shaped forwardly projecting center portion 11b, the latter being embossed with concentrically and symmetrically arranged geometric designs. Curved side wall portion 11a terminates in a circular rim edge 11c formed as a fold providing a short rearwardly extending annular wall 11d terminating at the rear thereof in a radial flange 11e. A plurality of seats 11 one for each socket 14 of the string of lights 12, are formed as openings in the double wall structure provided by curved side wall portion 11a and annular wall 11d inwardly of folded rim edge 11c. An open-ended slot 11g communicates each seat 11 with the exterior of rim edge 11c. Seats 11 may be equally spaced from each other and receive sockets 14 oriented so that each electric lamp carried thereby is suspended in front of side wall portion 11a.

The string of electric lights 12 may be of any well known construction used in Christmas tree decorations and the like, here shown as a plurality of sockets 14 each carrying a colored lamp 15 spaced along a single wire lead forming a series circuit loop which extends around plaque 10 spaced radially from annular wall 11d. Oppo- 11, such as, artificial wreath 13 herein shown to be of a A type having a twisted wire core 13a retaining the fringelike elements 13b which may be colored plastic strips simulating foliage in the manner well understood in the art. Wreath 13 may be attached to flange He by any suitable means, such as, staples 130 Center portion 11b may be provided in a con-figuration other than conical, such as, pyramidal with any desired number of sides.

"A highly'reflectivefront surface is provided for bowl 11, shown in FIG. 4 as a metal coating R which may be applied in any well known manner to the plastic layer P forming the bowl, as for example, by vacuum metalizing. Coating R may be protected by a lacquer finish L.

The practical utility of the invention will now be apparent. After bowl 11 is formed and the reflective surface applied as hereinbefore described, the string of lights 12 is mounted thereon by aligning each socket 14 with a corresponding seat 11f and rotating the socket 14 so that the two wires emerging from the base of the socket are aligned to readily pass through the open ended slot 11g and into seat 11 as will be clear from the broken line illustration in FIG. 2. Each socket 14 is then moved radially into its seat 11 wherein it fits snugly. Flange 11:; may have a slit 11i wherethrough line cord 12a is inserted into opening 11h. Wreath 13 may then be positioned on flange 11c and wire core 13a stapled thereto. Plaque 10 is now ready for use and may be suspended from a support, such as a wall, by any suitable means engaging in opening 11 formed in flange 11e.

Different colored lamps 15 are used, as for example, red, blue, green, magenta, violet and amber, which are arranged in sockets 14 preferably so that no two adjacent lamps are of the same color. The interplay of the different colored light beams emitted from lamps 15 and reflected by projecting center portion 11b and its geometric designs renders an attractive display of colored light enhancing the aesthetic appeal of wreath 13.

It will be understood that a parallel wiring of sockets 14 may be used requiring a double wire lead between each socket. In the series circuit shown, lamps 15 are of the shunted type so that the string will remain lighted when any one of the lamps burns out.

Should a more subdued effect be desired, bowl 11 may be made with a plain, flat center, eliminating conical center projecton 11b and the reflective surface. Bowl 11 may then be lined with foliage compatible with wreath 13 which is illuminated by multi-colored lamps 15.

It is to be understood that the envention features simplification of the mounting of the string of lights 12 on a supporting bowl 11 in which seats 11 are provided with open-ended slots 11g and the construction of bowl 11 which may be manufactured from plastic sheet material by relatively inexpensive vacuum forming methods. This manner of mounting a string of lights may be adaptable to the formation of a wide variety of display plaques.

The improved multi-colored light ornament construction herein disclosed is seen to achieve the several objects understood that all matters herein set forthor shown in the accompanying drawing are to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A multi-colored light plaque comprising a bowlshaped reflector having a peripheral wall terminating in a rim edge and a forwardy projecting light reflecting surface concentrically spaced from said rim edge, a plurality of spaced seats formed in said peripheral wall adjacent the rim edge, a string of multi-colored lights including a plurality of sockets, each socket carrying a colored lamp and being mounted in one of said seats with the lamp located between said peripheral wall and said forwardly projecting light reflecting surface to play its colored light upon the latter.

2. The multi-colored light plaque defined in claim 1 in which said seats are openings in said peripheral Wall, each opening having an open-ended slot communicating with the exterior of said rim edge.

3. The multi-colored light plaque defined in claim 1 in which said bowl-shaped reflector is a thin wall structure of substantially uniform thickness, a portion of said peripheral wall being folded over at said rim edge into a double wall structure, the outermost wall of the latter terminating in a radial flange spaced rearwardly of said rim edge, said seats being formed as openings in said double wall structure.

4. The multi-colored light plaque defined in claim 3 in which said seat openings each have an open-ended slot communicating with the exterior of said rim edge.

5. The multi-colored light plaque defined in claim 3, including decorative means mounted on said flange framing the bowl-shaped reflector.

6. In a multi-colored light ornamental device, a bowlshaped member having a relatively thin wall of substan tially uniform thickness and being formed with a peripheral edge folded over into a double wall structure and radially extending flange, the latter being spaced rear- Wardly from said peripheral edge, a plurality of openings References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,761,233 9/1956 Brown 240-10 2,915,620 12/1959 Robinson 24010 3,109,596 11/1963 Chernansky 2402 NORTON ANSHER, Primary Examiner. 

1. A MULTI-COLORED LIGHT PLAQUE COMPRISING A BOWLSHAPED REFLECTOR HAVING A PERIPHERAL WALL TERMINATING IN A RIM EDGE AND A FORWARDLY PROJECTING LIGHT REFLECTING SURFACE CONCENTRICALLY SPACED FROM SAID RIM EDGE, A PLURALITY OF SPACED SEATS FORMED IN SAID PERIPHERAL WALL ADJACENT THE RIM EDGE, A STRING OF MULTI-COLORED LIGHTS INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF SOCKETS, EACH SOCKET CARRYING A COLORED LAMP AND BEING MOUNTED IN ONE OF SAID SEATS WITH THE LAMP LOCATED BETWEEN SAID PERIPHERAL WALL AND SAID FORWARDLY PROJECTING LIGHT REFLECTING SURFACE TO PLAY ITS COLORED LIGHT UPON THE LATTER. 